A Matter Of Time
by mrscribble
Summary: Ron is having a mind blank of who he is going to take to a Yule Ball in Seventh year. Hermione gives him a little push in the right direction. Thank goodness! not for HH fans FOR RH fans
1. Default Chapter

DISCLAIMER: I don't own a thing. Period.  
  
I wish I did.  
  
A Matter of Time  
  
"Checkmate."  
  
It was a Sunday night in the Gryffindor dormitory and Ron was playing chess with himself. Hermione was reading a thick book and Harry was trying to finish a History of Magic essay due on the next day.   
  
Hermione made a sound between a sigh and a snort and looked up at Ron. "Ron, what is the point of playing chess with yourself? You'll win anyway, and you could be doing something useful, for a change."  
  
Ron heaved a huge fake sigh. "My dear Hermione, the point's not winning, it's playing while learning. Don't you have some book to read?"  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes. "If you were more observant, you would realise I am reading right now!" she said scathingly. "Honestly, not only have you got the emotional range of a teaspoon, your vision goes only as far as your nose."  
  
Ron frowned and changed the subject. "What're you reading, anyway?" he enquired. "Hogwarts, a History? Really Hermione, you've read that a million times."  
  
Hermione huffed. "I'm reading the Potions book that Snape set us. You do realise that an essay on this book is due in two days, don't you?"  
  
Ron looked up in surprise. "Really?"  
  
Hermione sighed, rolled her eyes, and looked back down to her book.  
  
Harry watched the two of them out of the corner of his eye.i I have to get them together/i, he thought.i There's only half a school year left until we leave, and those two still don't realise./i  
  
He stared down at his History of Magic essay. "Five more inches..." he muttered. Harry had no idea why he had to do a ithree and a half foot/i essay on "The 1436 Rebellion of the Czech Werewolf Society". He heard Hermione come up behind him and turned his head.  
  
"Just write a short evaluation at the end," she suggested kindly, "Binns likes that. He said it makes the essay more complete."  
  
Harry blinked. "When did he say that?" he asked, annoyed that for so many years he could have added an evaluation and gotten a better mark.  
  
Hermione sighed. "Third year. You two had better start listening, N.E.W.Ts are coming up."  
  
Harry nodded and scribbled a few words down as Hermione sank into her armchair next to the fire.   
  
"Remember third year, when I had to use a Time-Turner? I'm starting to regret not keeping it. It would be so exhilarating to go back in time again." she thought aloud.   
  
Ron sighed. "If only life were like that, Hermione..."  
  
Ron had come over to sit next to her. Harry found it mildly amusing to watch them as they sat together. iIt'd make a pretty good family portrait.../i he thought, and finished the essay with a flourish.  
  
"I'll leave you two lovebirds at it, I'm going to sleep. Night."  
  
Ron's ears reddened at Harry's choice of words and Hermione blushed, leaving Harry feeling quite satisfied with his day's work.  
  
center*~*~*/center  
  
Harry tiptoed across the Common Room and ran down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Dumbledore had indeed elaborated in the decorations this winter; sparkling ice sculptures added to the decor of the large Christmas trees. Holly and mistletoe was hung all around the entrances (unfortunately for Harry, he was caught under the door with a first-year Slytherin girl) and white confetti (or was it snow?) lazily drifted down, landing in people's hair, in drinks, on meals, and on Neville's iMimbulus Mimbletonia/i. Harry munched on a piece of toast and watched as Ginny came into the Hall.   
  
"Mo-or-orning," she yawned, and watched with mild interest as the iMimbulus Mimbletonia/i squirted out a jet of slime when a thick white clump landed on it. "Where's Hermione and my abominable brother?" she asked as an afterthought.  
  
Harry smirked. "Last time I saw them, they were asleep next to each other on a couch in the Common Room. I didn't quite want to disturb them..."  
  
Ginny giggled and chewed on a slice of bacon. "It's really stupid, you know. They know they like each other but they're too proud to admit it." she said through the meat.  
  
Harry frowned. "When are they going to irealise/i, though? It'd be horrible if the school year ended and they still weren't together. They've got to get together SOONER or later!" The last bit was accompanied with a hearty bang of Harry's fist on the table.  
  
Ginny blinked as plates shuddered in the aftermath of the small explosion. "Well," she considered, "I suppose it's all in a matter of time."  
  
Hermione and Ron had indeed been enraged. Harry had to duck to avoid a stream of red sparks that flowed out of a temperamental Hermione's wand. The trio had been iquite/i preoccupied, that is, until that evening. A chattering crowd was gathered around a bulletin board near Gryffindor Tower. Harry, Ron, and Hermione waited unil the crowd had dispersed to read the announcement, and, when he saw it, Ron went pale.  
  
centerbTo all Hogwarts students:/b/center  
  
centerThe Headmaster has decided to reward the school's hard work with an informal Yule Ball. All students from fourth year to seventh are pemitted to come. Any first to third years who wish to attend must have been asked by a fourth to seventh year beforehand.  
  
Dress robes are compulsory. Any colour is fine, however, the Headmaster begs for the seventh year young man who wore bright orange and the sixth year young lady in neon green at our last Yule Ball to wear the same dress robes./center  
  
Sincerely  
  
Minerva McGonagall,  
  
Deputy Head  
  
Ron turned to the other two. "Another Yule Ball?" he asked, flabbergasted. "Dear God, no!"  
  
Harry gave a small smile. "Er... Ron, I don't think you're going to like what I'm asking you, but... " Harry hesitated.  
  
"What? You know you can trust me!" Ron said.  
  
Harry continued in a rush. "Dotinkicangoballwitorister?"  
  
Hermione sighed as she looked at Ron's bewildered face, then translated for Harry. "He said, do you think he can go to the Ball with your sister?"  
  
Ron blinked, as if digesting the information. "We-ell... do you promise that you won't hurt her, make her sad, step on her feet and look at other girls as if you fancy them?"  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"YOU BLOODY WILL PROMISE BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T I WILL PERSONALLY MAKE SURE YOUR BODY IS FOUND MANGLED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LAKE!" Ron finally exploded.  
  
Hermione looked grumpy. "You should go by what I said at the end of fourth year's Yule Ball, Ron." she muttered enigmatically, and then entered the portrait hole.  
  
Ron turned to Harry. "What does she mean?" he asked, looking confused.  
  
Harry grinned and made his way past Ron, leaving him in a very puzzled state of mind. 


	2. A Matter Of Time Part II

DISCLAIMER: When a Lethifold eats me, I won't own Harry Potter.  
  
*Lethifold eats me*  
  
A Matter Of Time  
  
Chapter Two  
  
Ron waited with baited breath as the door to the girls' dormitory opened. He could hear her voice, see a lock of her brown hair through the doorway. Hermione appeared at the top of the stairs. The silvery robes she was wearing swished as she descended the staircase, her cheeks graced with a soft flush.  
  
When she arrived at the bottom of the stairs, he could see that her warm chocolate eyes sparkled with some sort of happiness - and perhaps a glimpse of anticipation?  
  
"Well, should we go?" Harry's voice cut through Ron's reverie. Ron nodded wordlessly and took Hermione's warm hand. He vaguely wondered why Harry was looking at Ginny like that. Mentally shrugging, Ron gently led Hermione through the portrait hole and down the flights of stairs. As the two entered the Great Hall, Ron acknowledged the fact that there was mistletoe above his head in the doorway. He gulped and looked at Hermione. She was wildly blushing and trying not to look at him.  
  
Finally, after what had seemed like an eternity (but in fact was only a couple of seconds), Hermione gave him a quick peck on the cheek and stepped out from under the doorway. Ron quickly decided that this would be the best thing to do, as he could see Malfoy approaching. Hermione guided the (pretty much) disorientated male over to one of the tables. She sat down next to Ginny and looked up at Ron. He fidgeted for a second.  
  
"Er," he said nervously, "I guess I'll, um, go get us some drinks." Hermione smiled at him and he disappeared through the couples milling around.  
  
"Why do you even like my brother, anyway?" Ginny asked Hermione. "It's not like he's dashingly handsome or a total romantic."  
  
Hermione shrugged. "I like him because... he's, well...Ron."  
  
"But still," Ginny persisted. "Come on!"  
  
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "If you want to know why I spent six hours just to get my robes on and make my hair stay in place," Hermione pointed at her brown hair that already seemed to be trying to get out of its tight French bun, "I should ask you why you like Harry. It's not like ihe's/i dashingly handsome or a total romantic."  
  
Ginny blushed and pressed the matter no further.  
  
*~*~*~  
  
Harry grinned at Ron next to him filling two goblets.   
  
"You all right, mate?" Harry asked Ron.  
  
Ron gulped. "I have absolutely no bloody idea what to do, Harry! I mean, she's over there, looking as perfect as - as - well, as perfect as she always is, and look at me!"  
  
He gestured violently at himself.   
  
Harry frowned. "No, I meant - oh, never mind, Ron."  
  
"What?" Ron persisted.  
  
Harry proceeded to shake his head.  
  
Ron, finally pulled out of his trance, suddenly looked at Harry. "By the way, what's with you and Ginny?" Ron asked suspiciously. "You keep on looking at her funny."  
  
Harry swallowed and dashed through the crowd.  
  
"Note to self," Ron muttered to himself as he tried to follow Harry without spilling the pumpkin juice over his robes, "Kill Harry after he kills You-Know-Who."  
  
*~*~*~  
  
Ron finally caught up to Harry. "When - did you - learn - to run - like - that?" he wheezed, dropping down on a chair.   
  
Harry grimly answered, "When I was late to Occulumency with Snape."  
  
Ron handed Hermione one of the goblets he had. She smiled her thanks and sipped a bit. Ron again noticed Harry glancing at Ginny and cursed out loud. Hermione looked shocked.  
  
"Ron! Don't swear!"  
  
A shadow fell over Harry. The four of them looked up.  
  
"Yes, iWeasel/i, don't swear, it might hurt the little Mudblood's ears." Draco Malfoy sneered. On his arm was, once again, Pansy Parkinson, in bright hues of clashing flourescent pink and green.  
  
Ron grabbed his wand and stood up. "Look who's talking," he retorted angrily, his ears turning a deep red, "It must be the first time anyone has taken a living Hippogriff dropping to a school dance!"  
  
Malfoy muttered through clenched teeth, "Don't you dare insult my date, Weasel! She must be at least a dozen times prettier than ithat/i Mudblood."  
  
Ginny and Harry watched Ron in anticipation for what would come next. Quick as lightning, Ron threw a perfect left hook at Malfoy's nose. Pansy squeaked as she saw the blood flowing out of Malfoy's mangled nose and ushered a shocked Malfoy out of the Great Hall.  
  
Harry struggled to keep Ron from running after Malfoy and punching him again. "No one - insult - go get him - Hermione - no -"  
  
Hermione sighed. "Calm idown/i Ron." she ordered, "Oh, I do wish he'd stop trying to defend me; I've got perfectly fine means of defense myself." she added, sounding annoyed.  
  
Ron finally stopped struggling. He heavily sat down on a chair and scowled angrily. "That little- ," he muttered under his breath. "I could just take his puny neck in my hands and squeeze-"  
  
Quietly, Ron continued muttering murder plans for Malfoy, oblivious of Harry and Ginny getting up to dance to a slow song.  
  
*~*~*~  
  
When Ron stopped scheming (he had came to the conclusion that all of his plans were, in fact, quite gory and would have been difficult to carry out without knowledge of the 44.5 mm gun) he was looking into Ginny's annoyed face opposite him.   
  
"Oh, Ron, you're such an iidiot!/i" Ginny groaned.  
  
Ron was a bit startled at this comment, but defensively replied, "No I'm not!"  
  
Ginny released a string of curses that would have made Mrs. Weasley disown the offender. Ron gaped at her.  
  
"Where did you learn ithose/i?"  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes. "That's not the point," she said, "The point iis/i, you're so thick you don't even realise the girl that's always in front of you likes you!"  
  
Ron blinked. "Of course you like me, you're my sister." Ron said, confused.  
  
Ginny let out a strange noise between a scream and a groan. "iHermione/i, you thick-headed dimwit!" she berated him.  
  
Ron gaped, resuming the state of a goldfish for a while.  
  
"Yes, Hermione." Ginny said angrily. "Just because you're so... iinvolved/i with the fact Harry and I-"  
  
Ron growled. "So you two ARE together!"  
  
Ginny shot him a dirty look. "As I was isaying/i, just because you're so involved with the fact that Harry and I are going through an emotional state of our lives-" she said, but was cut off by Ron.  
  
"You're PREGNANT!? I'm going to kill that-"  
  
"YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!!" Ginny screamed. The pair received a flurry of strange looks and edging-aways from other people.  
  
"What?" Ron groaned, sounding angry.  
  
"I'm inot/i pregnant, we're not even itogether/i! Anyway, just because you're so involved with the fact that Harry and I are going through an emotional state of our lives, you're blind to the iobvious/i piece of information which is that Hermione honestly likes you! You are a self - absorbed prat, did you know that?" Ginny half - yelled, half - whispered to him, and, to add to the emphasis, she stood up and flounced away.  
  
Ron sat there, stunned.  
  
*~*~*~  
  
Hermione came back after quite a stretch of time, looking a little cranky.  
  
"Er. Hello." Ron managed to utter.  
  
Hermione stared at him strangely, and he had a sudden urge to slip that strand of hair which was hanging down in front of her face back over her ear.  
  
"Are you all right?" Hermione asked him.  
  
Ron croaked a "yes" and the impulse was too great. His hand, out of its own will, jerked up. Halfway through the move, Ron tried to stop himself. The result?  
  
Hermione yelped as Ron slapped her across the cheek. She leaned backwards, lost her balance, and fell off the bench.  
  
Ron's eyes widened, and in a second, he was helping her up.   
  
"I'm - I'm so sorry Hermione - it just - your hair..." He trailed off and focused his attention on Hermione.   
  
"Are you all right??" Ron asked anxiously.  
  
Hermione looked at him. "I'm fine." she murmured, and a smile slowly spread across her face. "What were you saying about my hair?" she said, grinning.  
  
Ron stammered, "It - it just - "  
  
Hermione raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Itwashanginoffthesideofyourfaceanditmademewanttoputitbackbehindyourear." Ron babbled.  
  
Hermione, ever talented with translation, laughed.  
  
Ron looked ashamed.  
  
"Oh, you - " Hermione started.  
  
She didn't finish her sentence.  
  
Ron had just kissed her, and she didn't even mind his strange habits, or how they argued every day - nothing else mattered.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
*drumroll*  
  
So that's the end of my first ever fic on Checkmated!...  
  
Thanks to Tosca, my beta and to all my reviewers... : D  
  
reviewreviewreview... I just can't stress the word more! Flame if you need to... I just won't read it! ^ . ^  
  
mrscribble 


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